Abstract

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of the effects of dietary supplements on anemia, weightand height in 136 anemic school children from a low socioeconomic background in Bagamoyo District schools inTanzania. The aim of the current study was to investigate the impact of dietary supplements on anemia andanthropometric indices of anemic school children. The supplements were vitamin A alone, iron and vitamin A, ironalone or placebo, administered in a double-blinded design for 3 mo. All supplements were provided with local cornmeals. Hemoglobin concentration, body weight and height were measured at baseline and at follow-up aftersupplementation. Vitamin A supplementation increased the mean hemoglobin concentration by 13.5 g/L comparedwith 3.5 g/L for placebo [P , 0.0001, 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.19–13.57), the mean body weight by 0.6 kgcompared with 0.2 kg for placebo (P , 0.0001, 95% CI 0.19–0.65) and the mean height by 0.4 cm compared with0.1 cm for placebo (P 5 0.0009, 95% CI 0.08–0.42). However, the group of children who received combinedvitamin A and iron supplementation had the greatest improvements in all indicators compared with placebo (18.5g/L, P , 0.0001, 95% CI 14.81–22.23; 0.7 kg, P , 0.0001, 95% CI 0.43–0.88 and 0.4 cm, P , 0.0001, 95% CI0.22–0.56 for hemoglobin, weight and height, respectively). It is likely that vitamin A supplementation may have auseful role in combating the problems of vitamin A deficiency and anemia, as well as in improving children’s growth,in developing countries. J. Nutr. 130: 2691–2696, 2000.